  
Archway's origins date to 1936, when the husband and wife team of Harold and Ruth Swanson began baking soft oatmeal cookies and doughnuts in their garage in Battle Creek, Michigan. In the company's early days the cookies were distributed only locally, packaged from the start in clear wrappers that helped stimulate both appetites and sales. During World War II, with baking ingredients in short supply, the Swansons decided to concentrate exclusively on cookies. Swanson Home Style Cookies, as they were known, grew into a line of 15 different varieties by the late 1940s.
Key to the company's success was the quality of its soft-baked cookies. These were much less common in the cookie market, but at the same time were perceived to be closer to homemade than other cookies. Soft-baked cookies had higher moisture content than ones that were dry and relatively hard, and thus had a much shorter shelf life. To compensate for this, the company developed a system of baking cookies only after orders for them were received, allowing it to keep store stocks fresh and minimize waste. Archway's goal was for stores to sell half of the cookies on display each week, ensuring that the vast majority would be purchased well before the six-week "sell-by" date was reached.
In October 1998 Archway was sold to Specialty Foods Corporation of Deerfield, Illinois, in a deal reportedly worth close to $100 million. Archway thus joined the Oakland, California-based Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. in the Specialty Foods portfolio, making Specialty Foods the third largest cookie baker in the United States. Archway management remained the same, and the company did not announce any major changes in direction.
After more than 60 years Archway cookies were still an American favorite, and the company that produced them was solidly ensconced in the top ranks of cookie makers. Though it maintained many traditions such as its clear packaging and the emphasis on soft-baked oatmeal cookies, the company was frequently adding new varieties and using new marketing methods to keep up with the times. Despite the turbulence brought on by shifting marketplace trends and the changes taking place within many top cookie companies, Archway maintains its position as the leading maker of oatmeal cookies and remained a major player in its field.
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